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"Discovery Communications To Launch New Multimedia, Multi-Year Science Initiative, "Be The Future," Supporting Obama Administration STEM Priorities -- DirecTV Boosts Support of Science Literacy with Move of Science Channel to Total Choice, Offering Millions of Additional Subscribers Access to Quality Science Programming -- November 23, 2009 (Silver Spring, Md.) Underscoring its commitment to leading in science-related programming and education, and answering President Obama's call to action to encourage science literacy, Discovery Communications today announced a new multimedia, multi-year nationwide initiative called "Be The Future." Over the next five years, Discovery will launch a programming block, education curriculum and tools to inspire student learning and careers in the sciences and support the White House's efforts behind science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. "Lifting American students from the middle to the top of the pack in STEM achievement over the next decade will not be attained by government alone," said President Obama. "I applaud the substantial commitments made today by the leaders of companies, universities, foundations, non-profits and organizations representing millions of scientists, engineers and teachers from across the country." "The exploration of science, technology and the natural world is central to the mission and DNA of Discovery Communications and we are incredibly proud to put the full muscle of our content and resources behind this critical White House initiative," said John S. Hendricks, founder and chairman, Discovery Communications. "Through 'Be the Future' we will spark the innate curiosity in school-aged viewers and people of all ages, help drive interest and leadership in science-related careers and inspire a lifelong interest in how science shapes our everyday lives." A sweeping, multi-platform initiative, "Be the Future" will be built on two primary Discovery businesse

"What is the Freshman Transition Initiative (FTI)? If you are a middle or high school principal, teacher, curriculum developer or school counselor, you share our goal of increasing school retention and the success rate of the youth in your schools. To this end, The George Washington University's Freshman Transition Initiative, housed in GW's Graduate School of Education and Human Development's School Counseling Program, has studied and identified the most noteworthy and rigorous state standards in this area to develop what it considers to be a definitive set of Course Standards for Freshman Transition Classes. As schools, districts and states consider various high school reform strategies, we expect these standards will: Provide policy makers with a vision of what types of intervention strategies are possible; Provide a curriculum roadmap for teachers; Guide administrators in upgrading district or state standards; Encourage professional curriculum developers and textbook/software publishers to update or create appropriate commercial resources for the classroom"

"A National Initiative on American History, Civics, and Service We invite all Americans to participate in a series of events and programs to get us thinking, talking and teaching about the rights and responsibilities of citizens in our democracy. At the heart of this initiative are 100 milestone documents of American history. These documents reflect our diversity and our unity, our past and our future, and mostly our commitment as a nation to continue to strive to "form a more perfect union." We want everyone-students, teachers, parents, and the general public-to read these milestone documents, consider their meaning, discuss them, and decide which are the most significant and why. This initiative creates a number of ways to do that-through classroom activities and competitions, and votes. This web site includes"

"The National Math and Science Initiative was formed to address one of this nation's greatest economic and intellectual threats - the declining number of students who are prepared to take rigorous college courses in math and science and equipped for careers in those fields. To flourish in the 21st century, the United States must continue to generate intellectual capital that can drive the economic engine of our future prosperity. This crucial project was initiated as a public-private partnership, led by private donors such as Exxon Mobil Corporation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation."

"Using intelligent tutoring systems, virtual laboratories, simulations, and frequent opportunities for assessment and feedback, the Open Learning Initiative (OLI) builds courses that are intended to enact instruction - or, more precisely, to enact the kind of dynamic, flexible, and responsive instruction that fosters learning."

"Founded in 1967 at Sweetwater Creek State Park by a group of concerned citizens, the Georgia Conservancy collaborates, advocates and educates to protect Georgia's natural environment. Through its focus on clean air and water, land conservation, coastal protection, growth management and education, the Georgia Conservancy works to develop solutions to protect Georgia's environment and promote the stewardship of the state's vital natural resources. Called "the state's most influential environmental organization" by Georgia Trend magazine, the Georgia Conservancy, a statewide, nonprofit organization, serves as an advocate for clean air and water through programs such as Mothers & Others for Clean Air and as a founding member of the Georgia Water Coalition (GWC). The Georgia Conservancy, through its work with GWC, was active in the development of a statewide water management plan to ensure Georgia's waters remain clean, abundant and available for all Georgians. Today, the water program continues as the Georgia Conservancy works to influence and track the state's water conservation implementation plan as part of the statewide water plan, which passed by the state legislature in 2008. Other recent Georgia Conservancy successes, to name only a few, include: launching the Coastal Georgia Land Conservation Initiative in partnership with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Association County Commissioners. The initiative will protect critical coastal lands and promote sustainable land use and development practices through comprehensive mapping, education and technical assistance assembling and facilitating a team of air quality, policy and health experts to revise guidelines on appropriate outdoor activity when air quality is poor securing $250,000 in state funds to assist schools with installing pollution control devices on metro-area school buses. and, in 2008, teaching more than 292 teachers in 18 environmental education workshop

"Workforce3 One, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), is an interactive communications and learning platform designed to build the capacity of the Workforce Investment System (WIS) to develop strategies that enable individuals to be successful in the 21st century economy. This platform provides online insight into the skills and competencies required by business and industry through the innovative workforce solutions identified by a wide range of strategic partners and grantees. Workforce3 One: Allows the workforce system, educators, business and industry, and others to share their innovative approaches, products, and tools; Offers online learning events (webinars) that highlight promising practices and provides a space to share ideas; Provides a vehicle for ETA to share information and products developed at the national level; Serves as a key point of dissemination for the approaches, products, and tools for High Growth, Community-Based Job Training grants, and Workforce in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) Initiative; Offers a current searchable database of 3,500 learning modules with additional material added weekly; and Provides and supports collaborative workspaces to allow individuals associated with the WIRED initiative regional economies to share information to support their socially networked leadership groups, partnerships, and strategies."

"Seeds of Empowerment is non-profit arm of XRI, a 501(c) (3) organization, a spin-off of the Stanford University.

XRI Global was formed with the vision to develop educational tools that provide sustainable empowerment to the underserved across the world. We provide a common platform for projects, initiatives and entrepreneurial ventures to converge and collectively work towards achieving our objective of empowering the underserved.

Our Mission

The Seeds of Empowerment team intends to develop and implement projects that will "plant seeds of hope and opportunity" for the underserved around the world. Our projects use cutting-edge technology to create
self-sustaining business models that empower the powerless by improving their access to an education"."

"Our Strategy: The National Urban League employs a five-point approach to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities and the guarantee of civil rights for African Americans. Education and Youth Empowerment ensures the education of all children by providing access to early childhood literacy, after-care programs and college scholarships. Economic Empowerment invests in the financial literacy and employability of adults through job training, homeownership and entrepreneurship. Health and Quality of Life Empowerment promotes community wellness through a focus on prevention, including fitness, healthy eating and access to affordable healthcare. Civic Engagement and Leadership Empowerment encourages all people to take an active role to improve quality of life through participation in community service projects and public policy initiatives. Civil Rights and Racial Justice Empowerment guarantees equal participation in all facets of American society through proactive public policies and community-based programs."

"The mission of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors (RPA) is to help donors create thoughtful, effective philanthropy throughout the world. The organization, a 501-(c)-(3) nonprofit, was developed by the Rockefeller family as its private philanthropy service, and traces its antecedents to John D. Rockefeller, Sr., who in 1891 began to professionally manage his philanthropy as if it were a business." RPA provides research and counsel on charitable giving, develops philanthropic programs, and offers complete program, administrative and management services for foundations and trusts. It also operates a charitable gift fund through which clients can make gifts outside the United States, participate in funding consortia, and operate nonprofit initiatives. The organization is governed by a 17-member board of directors representing the fields of philanthropy, finance, venture capital, education, the arts, broadcasting and medicine (list available upon request, or via BPA currently serves more than 160 donors in advising on giving to more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe, Latin America and North America. As a whole, the organization has facilitated over $3 billion in grant making and advised last year on nearly $180 million. Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors is one of the world's largest philanthropy services, with 40 full-time staff in our New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco offices. We also work with a group of carefully-selected expert affiliates. Our senior staff members offer an average of 20 years each in grant making experience with major foundations, both U.S. and international, including the Ford Foundation, the Levi-Strauss Foundation, the SmithKline Beecham Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the New York Community Trust, the Wallace Fund and the John A. Hartford Foundation. Senior staffers are frequent speakers and are quoted often in national publications and media."

"About Redu - What is Redu? REDU stands for rethinking, reforming and rebuilding US education. Powered by people and technology, REDU is a movement designed to expand and encourage the national conversation around education reform by providing information and resources to learn, a community platform to connect, and tools and initiatives to act. Following the belief that education will not be solved through a single bill passing or by policy makers alone, our goal is to create a destination where educators, parents, students, and everybody who cares about the issue have the means to engage in the ongoing conversations, be inspired by reform stories, and make a difference in their own way. It's a platform for everyone. REDU was developed by Bing from Microsoft in partnership with CAA, GOOD, Staple Design, Task Force, and Roadtrip Nation. United in the belief that "every child deserves a great education", REDU is powered by Bing's commitment to empower people through knowledge with our founding partners' ability to creatively drive positive social changes through its powerful content, unique network, and expertise in education. REDU supports Microsoft's vision for improving education by using technology to connect, engage, explore and create. To learn about Microsoft citizenship work in education and beyond, visit Microsoft Corporate Citizenship."

"ABCmouse.com is a global education initiative of Age of Learning, Inc. Our goal is to help children build a strong foundation for future academic success by providing a comprehensive and engaging online curriculum to greatly assist early learners to succeed in pre-k, kindergarten, and early elementary school programs. ABCmouse.com is subscription-based, with no advertising, pop-up ads, or links to other sites. Children can learn and explore with their parents, or on their own (depending on age and ability), in a safe and secure online educational environment. We named our site ABCmouse.com because here children can learn important educational basics (often referred to as "the ABC's") through the use of a computer mouse, thus ABCmouse.com. At ABCmouse.com, the computer mouse comes to life as ABC Mouse, who serves as our site ambassador and guide to early learners everywhere."

"Focusing on the K-12 community In the late 1990s, the State of Michigan founded Michigan Virtual University to support the state's economic development efforts by providing convenient and cost-effective education and training to Michigan's current and future workforce. After redefining its mission and vision in 2004, MVU now serves the K-12 education community exclusively through the Michigan Virtual School and Michigan LearnPort. As one of the largest virtual schools in the U.S., Michigan Virtual School offers more than 150 online courses, including unique courses like Chinese and CareerForward®, an online career exploration course. Michigan LearnPort brings professional development to the K-12 educational community. Hosting a broad catalog of courses and collaborative tools, Michigan LearnPort provides online learning resources and solutions for educators. MVU provides powerful and engaging online career development tools for high school and middle school students, parents and K-12 educators, including a no-cost online course called CareerForward that helps all Michigan schools meet the state's online learning graduation requirement. MVU's web-based application called myDreamExplorer® gives students an opportunity to explore different career pathways, take personal interest surveys and build a personalized education development plan. The MVU organizational values represent a set of core beliefs that continue to build a high performance team environment. These value statements serve as the foundation for MVU's vision and mission statements. MVU is committed to the following values: High standards for quality, ongoing research and the use of data to improve operational decisions; Use of innovative technologies to address persistent educational challenges; Listening to customer and stakeholder feedback to guide product and service evelopment plans; Excellence in the design, development and delivery of online educational

"The Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning is a public, not-for-profit organization dedicated to strengthening teacher development policy and practice. Our Web site features recent information on teacher development including research, state and national policy and legislative initiatives, and models for effective practice. We invite policy-makers, parents and teachers, researchers and journalists, and education and philanthropic organizations to use the resources of this site and join us in helping to ensure that every child learns from a fully qualified and effective teacher."

"Thinkfinity.org is the cornerstone of Verizon Foundation's literacy, education and technology initiatives. Our goal is to improve student achievement in traditional classroom settings and beyond by providing high-quality content and extensive professional development training. This free, comprehensive digital learning platform is built upon the merger of two acclaimed programs Verizon MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Literacy Network."

"Foundations for the Future (F3) is a collaboration of Georgia Tech researchers working with government and industry support to ensure universal K-12 technology access and effective use in Georgia. The focus of Foundations for the Future is to help accelerate the application of telecommunications technology for interconnecting K-12 schools for collaborative learning, remote access to educational facilities (zoos, museums, libraries), and Internet-based resources. The mission of F3 is to leverage existing investments and expertise to promote powerful, effective, and feasible alternatives that improve educational practice in Georgia through innovative applications in technology. Funding for Foundations for the Future was provided initially by the AT&T Foundation through a $2 million grant. The Georgia State Legislature began funding F3 in July 1998. Foundations for the Future welcomes interested parties to become involved in this collaborative effort."

"Holocaust Issues The Office of the Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues develops and implements U.S. policy with respect to the return of Holocaust-era assets to their rightful owners, compensation for wrongs committed during the Holocaust, and Holocaust remembrance. The Office does this in a manner that complements and supports broader U.S. interests and initiatives in a Europe committed to democracy, pluralism, human rights, and tolerance. The Office seeks to bring a measure of justice and assistance to Holocaust victims and their families and to create an infrastructure to assure that the Holocaust is remembered properly and accurately. This is an important issue in our bilateral relations with countries of central and eastern Europe and with the state of Israel. Much of the Office's work relates to bringing closure to issues left outstanding during the Cold War. Before 1989, the governments of Russia and its satellites refused to permit research into Holocaust questions or the payment of compensation to Holocaust victims and their heirs. The end of communist governments in eastern Europe made it possible to extend Holocaust programs to those countries. In addition, the Office has been involved in facilitating negotiations to reach, and in implementing, various agreements on the subject of Holocaust-era claims. Class action suits in the United States in the 1990's set the stage for the negotiation of a settlement agreement with Swiss Banks and executive agreements with Germany, France, and Austria that dealt with claims arising from unpaid Holocaust-era insurance policies, as the use of forced and slave labor, the illegal seizure of private and communal property, and other personal injuries. The Special Envoy is a member of the boards of directors overseeing the French and German payments programs. He maintains close relations with Austrian officials administering the programs negotiated with the Austrian Government. He also serves as an ex-

"RJI Vision and Mission Reynolds Journalism Institute: Ideas. Experiments. Research. Solutions. 2009 The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute (RJI) exists to develop and test ways to improve journalism through new technology and improved processes. In partnership with media organizations and nonprofits, RJI delivers technological and strategic innovations in journalism and advertising. RJI was launched in 2004 with an initial grant of $31 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation . In conjunction with the centennial celebration of the Missouri School of Journalism, it officially dedicated its world headquarters in September 2008. This 50,000 square-foot facility on the University of Missouri campus has state-of-the-art resources to test and demonstrate new technologies, experiment with convergence news production and delivery systems, and conduct real-time and virtual seminars and conferences. RJI's work crosses diverse specialties within journalism, including media convergence, editorial content and methods, the evolution of advertising, innovation in management and the impact of new technologies. It also includes varied fields on campus such as law, computer science, marketing, education and other disciplines. The vision The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute is a world-class center for researching and testing new models of journalism in this era of technological advances. RJI makes the most of its location in a premier, hands-on journalism school at a research-extensive university and the collective creativity of visiting professionals and researchers. It assumes a leading position among centers devoted to journalism and media studies. Exterior view of the new RJI building on 9th Street in Columbia, MO. The mission The Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute engages media professionals, scholars and other citizens in programs aimed at improving the practice and understanding of journalism in democratic soc

"Home Dialysis Central is a one-stop, online source of up-to-date, unbiased information about home dialysis-in all its forms-for people with kidney disease, their families, and the healthcare professionals who provide kidney disease care. Who developed Home Dialysis Central? The Medical Education Institute (MEI) conceived and developed Home Dialysis Central. MEI is a non-profit organization with the mission of helping people with chronic disease learn to manage and improve their health. You may know us through our work with the Life Options program, or on the original DOQI guidelines. We have nearly fifteen years of experience in national program management in the renal community. MEI coordinated the research, design, development, programming, testing, maintenance, and promotion of Home Dialysis Central. Our in-depth knowledge of kidney disease, treatment options, and the patient experience makes us ideally suited to coordinate this initiative. MEI developed two other successful kidney education websites: Kidney School™, an interactive learning center that attracts 11-15,000 visitors per month, and the award-winning Life Options program, with more than 50,000 visitors per month."

As part of the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI), the draft K-12 standards are now available for public comment. These draft standards, developed in collaboration with teachers, school administrators, and experts, seek to provide a clear and consistent framework to prepare our children for college and the workforce. Governors and state commissioners of education from 48 states, 2 territories and the District of Columbia committed to developing a common core of state standards in English-language arts and mathematics for grades K-12. This is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).